The Royal Society spends the majority of its funds
(two thirds of its parliamentary grant-in-aid) on its research
awards, from University Research Fellowships - given to researchers
early in their careers - to professorships. It also funds International
Fellowships, aimed at attracting academics from abroad and allowing
UK academics to travel. The Royal Society seeks to influence the
teaching of science in schools and is involved in the public communication
of science, through its educational programme, advisory work,
the Science in Society programme and its support for Copus. Its
third main area of work is in providing independent scientific
advice to Government. One of the most recent examples of this
its inquiry into infectious diseases in livestock.[8]
The Royal Society also functions as a forum for the discussion
of science; it holds regular meetings, publishes five journals
and maintains an extensive library which is open to the public.
Finally, there are 24 prizes awarded by the Royal Society, entirely
funded by endowments, in recognition of scientific excellence.

16. The Royal Society will receive £280,000
in 2002-03 for 36 international subscriptions. The Institute of
Biology mentions this funding: "We spend nearly £20,000
per annum on [international representation] but note that the
Royal Society received direct government funding to enable to
it undertake such representation on behalf of the nation".[15]
The learned societies who have taken over responsibility for representing
the UK pay their share of the subscription, which by 2004 will
amount to 51%, from their own funds, with the Royal Society continuing
to pay the balance. The Royal Society tells us that the "small
savings [it has made] have been used to support other international
activities."[16]
We consider that those learned societies who have accepted
responsibility for the membership of these international discipline-based
unions should have their proportion of the UK subscription met
from OST funds, just as the Royal Society's share is paid from
its grant­in­aid.